The Uncovered
by Forever Frosted
Summary: To Wally, the superhero life and his speed-healing were perfect for covering the scars and bruises his father was inflicting nightly. But not everything can be buried forever under lies, excuses and jokes. Abuse, Wally abuse and more Wally abuse. Spitfire and bromance.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Uncovered.**_

To Wally, the superhero life and his speedhealing were perfect for covering the scars and injuries his father was inflicting. Set like a month after Auld Acquaintance. I don't know what his Holidays schedule is…. So let's say he's on holiday.

Oh my god, why can't I stop with these Wally abuse fics. I'm a horrible person ._.

Don't own YJ. Doi.

Oh, and no slash. Ever. Not in any of my stories.

* * *

Wally grunted, taking the fist to his jaw and stepping back with the force behind it.

He could dodge it. Easily. He could even get an ice-cream from the deli around the corner and come back in time to do a little dance before the punch would even land. But, as it was, he took it. Just like he did every other night. Because his father was angry, just like every other night, and Wally refused to let the anger become directed to his mother. So he made sure, just like every other night, that _he _was the first thing Rudy saw every night when he got home so that _he_ would be in the line of fire. So that no one else got hurt but him (and possibly his father's fists when they made contact with the wall… or Wally.)

The punches were getting worse and his father no longer profusely apologizing afterwards in the morning. Instead, he refused to look Wally in the eyes. But yet he still drank, he still got angry, and he still threw those punches just like every other night.

And Wally could deal with it like no one else. Because he was a speedster, and he thanked his stars that he was. That Barry was. Otherwise, the bruises and the scars wouldn't heal so quickly and he'd be stuck with more lies or excuses like "Fell down the stairs, slipped on some ice, ran into a wall…" and so on. He figured he'd probably used up every excuse possible already just so he didn't have to tell _them_ the truth. That every night, he'd come home to a wonderful mother who was always cooking something spectacular, then his father would come home drunk as a skunk and take his frustrations out with his fists on Wally. Every night, Wally just took it and covered it up in the morning, ignoring his dinner on the table, even though his mother still set it out for him every single night.

Wally was pinned on the wall in the hallway, ignoring the pain in his left arm. He could tell it wasn't a break, but _damn_ it still hurt. His father was cursing, cursing at life or him or _something_, but it reached deaf ears. Like every other night, Mary was still cooking (mostly because Rudy would threaten to kill either her or Wally lately if she stopped cooking at all, but also because Wally begged for her to just _stay out of this because he could take it. Because he could handle it, and there was no need for her to become injured too) _

Wally, biting his lip, couldn't stop the cry escape his lips as he dropped from the wall when his father let go of him. That's when the kicks began, making contact with his ribs as Wally lay on his side, curling in on himself. Wally gasped in pain, winded as his father finally stopped. Rudy grunted and walked away, and the soft lull of the television reached Wally's ears. He groaned, curling in even more on himself. His body wanted to just reject every food he had managed to scoff down before the daily occurrence and just hopefully shut down, but, like every other night, Wally managed to get up. His left arm cradled across his chest, holding it as he took the struggle to get up. He took in deep breaths. His father had possibly bruised or even broken his ribs. Wally couldn't tell, but that didn't bother him. He leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. Now that would definitely be sore for a while. In speedster times, anyway.

Alright, all he had to do was act normal to the kitchen, grab some painkillers and water, kiss his mum goodnight and be off to a sleepless night. He pushed himself off the wall with his right hand, taking a step to catch himself. He turned slightly and took another step, not able to stop the sharp intake of breath as he did so. Encouraging himself, he made it through the arch in the hallway, making it to the kitchen. He walked to his mum, kissing her cheek and muttering a goodnight. She slipped the painkillers and a small bottle of water into his jacket pocket.

"Thanks," He mumbled, managing to somehow walk back to his room. He collapsed on the bed, a wince escaping as his wounds didn't appreciate it. He broke the seal for the tablet and opened the lid for the bottle, popping the tablet in his mouth and swallowing with the water. He repeated with another 3 tablets.

Tucking himself in with his cradled ribs and arm, he stared at the wall. And like every other night, he didn't get a wink of sleep. Rather just blanked out from the world and lost from its clutches.

Morning came, and Wally watched the green digits on his alarm. Like every other day, he waited for the digits to read out 7:00 AM, the time he got up on a Saturday to visit the cave. Yeah, maybe it was holidays, but he really didn't want to just lay there in bed for another nine hours. Kicking his blanket off, he rolled out of bed and, instead of catching himself, he landed on the floor with an 'umph'. He then took in a sharp intake of breath as the pain came back, only dulled because he had completely let his mind wander into mysteries unknown. He pushed himself up with his right arm, sitting there. He was hungry, like every other day, and slowly wandered out of his room to the kitchen. No one else was up, which was completely normal. He grabbed out a big bowl and poured in the cereal, adding milk. Shoving a spoon in, he began chewing it down.

He only set it down when it was finished to take a shower. Turning on the water, he undressed and stepped inside, the warm water already refreshing him slightly. He stood there for about ten minutes, letting the water wash away any worries for a bit. He washed and stepped out; changing into the clothes on the floor he had set out. His usual attire- a yellow undershirt, jeans, trainers and the red jacket. He took a glimpse in the mirror and winced.

He opened the cupboards under the sinks, grabbing out some concealer. He covered the dark rings under his eyes, already looking better. His arm still hurt, just like his ribs, and he went to the kitchen again to wash the bowl and grab some more painkillers. Swallowing them down, he placed the now finished alfoil wrapping that held the pills in the bin. He stored a candy bar in his pocket, and the concealer, and scribbled down a messy note on a post-note.

'Off to the Cave.

-Wally'

He no longer wrote 'Love you', because he wasn't sure if it was true or not anyway. Well, not to one particular parent anyway. It was replaced with a little lightning bolt instead. He stuck it on the fridge, grabbing the spare keys and shoving them in his pocket. He placed on a smile, the mask falling back into place. He nodded politely to some familiar faces that actually woke up at early hours like this, and he continued on his route. Making sure no one was following, he slipped into a closed down café. Going through to the dusty kitchen, he opened the phone box. No one had bothered investigating, so no one questioned the peculiar item.

He stepped in,

'Recognized. Kid Flash, B-03" The computer announced, before he was casually walking out of the zeta into the cave.

The pills were, thankfully, taking effect. His ribs, appearing headache and arm were already feeling much less painful. Not as less painful as he'd like, but it was something, at least. He was greeted by the familiar smell of pancakes.

Oh yes, he was _definitely_ feeling better.

He knew his body would protest against any fast movements, so he walked to the kitchen. Besides, his ankle was still healing after his father managed to twist it. Now that one took _a lot_ of explaining to get out of, especially since he hadn't even been on patrol that week. Lucky thing he was so 'clumsy' and covered it with a trip down a flight of stairs. From the on, Artemis teased him about just using the elevator.

Plopping on the seat, his mask slipped for a second as his ribs protested. It took all the courage he had not to cry out as he realized he had done that way too quickly for his ribs to manage without protest.

M'gann turned, "Hey Wally," He slipped the mask back up just in time. "Morning. Mhm, say, those pancakes look good. Not as good as Artemis, but you know, still good," He grinned, knowing his feelings were now wide in the open and he honestly didn't bother denying it. M'gann just laughed slightly as Conner walked into the room, a kiss in greeting. And the best part was Wally felt nothing at all but happiness for the both. Well, actually, he could feel the pain in his ribs and arm, but that didn't exactly count in the emotional department.

An hour later, and the entire team was there. Wally was standing next to Artemis as Black Canary walked in. They had all been reported to come at the cave at 8:30, but they were always early.

Dinah didn't waste time with introductions. It was announced there would be combat training between pairs. Wally was to go with Robin.

Right, of course. It just had to be the mini-bats. No problem. He just needed to keep his awareness sharp and make sure the bats did not land anything near his ribs or arm.

He and Rob were going up after Superboy and Artemis. Knowing how Artemis liked her concentration, he kept his mouth shut, but was cheering her on silently as he raised his fists in the air. Her swiftness was winning, but then Superboy seemed to come back with another move. She countered swiftly, before Dinah called 'Time!'

Wally shuffled on his feet, a little unsure. Dick was smiling slightly, pacing around the ring. Wally did the same, begging the bats didn't hit anything already sore. Because he didn't need to become even more injured before tonight. The computer announced the beginning, and Robin sprung up. Wally, seeing what was coming, quickly sped out to the opposite end. Robin knew he couldn't exactly change route in mid-air, and flipped before landing back on his feet. Wally didn't want to be on the offensive. Hell, he didn't even want to be in this stupid battle.

Robin noticed something was off, seeing how the teen's weight was slightly shifted onto his right. He wasn't advancing- something he usually did.

'Oh well, I can work with something different,' Dick thought, advancing towards Wally. Wally, frowning, stood still and waited for any throws.

So Robin threw. He went for a sloppy swing around the head, which, for heavens sake, Wally could've dodged. He could've moved. He could have countered.

But he didn't. Instead, he simply crossed his arms in front of his face. And that's when Dick changed the swing, a more sturdy and solid swing at his ribs.

And Wally should've dodged that. He should've moved. He should've quickly just somehow countered- like he always did when Dick pulled that move. But he didn't, and Dick narrowed his eyes.

Wally was screaming. Internally, at least. Because Dick had thrown that punch –and damn it, he's dodged that stupid move plenty of times, but he had just blanked out- and it had landed right on his ribs. And the pain was multiplying with each breath he tried to take. He took a step backwards, his eyes widened slightly. Oh, it felt like his father had just gone and thrown some bricks at him or something and then stomped on his chest. It just _hurt_.

Dick took a step forward. Because the punch was not that bad. He had thrown worse at Wally, but the speedster usually came back bouncing, even after a second of hurt registered across his face. But that was the problem. Wally wasn't bouncing back. He was struggling to inhale and his right arm was clutched protectively over his chest. Robin's eyes narrowed. He had seen that. He knew how that felt. Because the way Wally was reacting, it meant his ribs were already bruised up. And Robin had scored a very sore spot.

And then something else struck. Speedsters had speed healing. Which meant that maybe if Wally had acquired the injury a week or so ago, he wouldn't be clutched over in pain. But he was.

And Robin frowned. Because something was off. He couldn't remember any villains in their past weekly missions landing a spot on Wally. Or he'd be moaning for pineapple juice and nachos. Which meant that Wally must've done something stupidly idiotic, or something else was at hand? Or, maybe, it was just a fight in Central.

But either way, Wally was still struggling. Dick took another step forward, keeping his eyes locked coolly on Wally. The room around them seemed to disappear. Wally straightened up slightly.

Damn it. Damn it. He could feel Rob's eyes on him, and he cursed mentally. Because he could see the gears turning in the boys head, and it meant he was figuring something out. And usually, the bats didn't even need time to figure something out.

'He could be piecing it together,' A little voice in his head said, and he bit his lip. No. He had kept it hidden. He would keep it that way.

"S-Sorry. Cold sort of got a good throw in," Wally managed, straightening up and smiling slightly.

Robin's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "You good?" He asked, with a response of a nod.

"Wally, go get some painkillers. That's time anyway. Alright, Rocket and Zatanna!" Dinah ordered, and Wally just rolled her eyes, mumbling a

"Yes, mother" Wally mumbled. But no, he couldn't take a painkiller. It could mean an overdose if anything. Even with his accelerated metabolism, it could still be a little risky to take any more within the short time period. So he shuffled to the kitchen instead, snagging a left over pancake and dousing it in syrup. His ribs hurt with every movement, but the food was making him feel a little better. He turned when he heard soft, familiar footsteps. He smiled as he saw Artemis walk up, hands on hips. She let her hands slide around his waist, her head resting against his shoulder.

He involuntarily let out a cry of pain as she shifted, his ribs, _once again_, protesting. Loudly.

Artemis frowned, "What's going on?" She demanded, her hands once again finding her hips.

"Told you, babe. Cold just got a lucky shot." He shrugged, the pancake now finished.

"And you've taken the painkillers?" She asked sceptically. Because if he had sore ribs, he wouldn't run so quickly. And that means he couldn't have made it to the medic bay then to the kitchen within the very short period of time.

"There's no pain when I'm around you." Wally knew it was cheesy, but it brought a laugh to Artemis's eyes. She ended up shoving him gently though. "Hey!" He protested, catching himself with his right arm.

Artemis noticed. "What? Something wrong about your left side? Or have you just got two left feet?" She teased, but the question was clear. 'Tell me now, what's up?'

Wally shrugged, "Hey, you know I'm Mr. Right," He had to laugh at how bad the attempt was.

"Right," The word was dragged out, and the couple turned to see the Boy Wonder standing there, arms folded. "You're hurt." Robin pointed out the obvious.

"Only my pride, Boy Wonder," The speedster smirked, his right arm going to his heart and pulling a face.

Both of the Gotham teens shook their heads in bemusement.

He had thankfully gotten away without any questions. Although he didn't miss the question on Artemis's lip as he kissed goodbye, standing in front of the zeta. She was staying longer to have some time with Zatanna, but he had to get home.

"I'm fine," He lied, but the mask was holding. She just nodded.

He gave another kiss and he grinned, "I could get used to this,"

"Aren't you already?" She smirked.

"Never." He went for another kiss. His attempt was futile as she basically shoved him to the Zeta. "See you later, Wall-Man," She chuckled as his arms flailed slightly as he was Zeta'd off.

That night, Wally just stood there, blanked out –exactly like in the combat training- as his father repeatedly smashed his fists on Wally.

* * *

So…. Yup :L It may sound familiar, but trust me, this story is going to get crazy. I have everything planned from CADMUS to abuse to just about everything wacko. So please review to let me know that you will be there for this ride!

But yeah, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

Doi, it isn't proofread, but I hope it's not too bad!

But yeah, reviews are amazing and seriously make me update faster.

Love you all,

Kayla.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you guys so much for all the support! Really wasn't expecting something so great! Now, this chapter here has been mostly typed on my iPod. So apologies for any mistakes.

Also I don't own YJ. Obviously not proof read, but hey, I was sick typing this! xD

* * *

Wally had collapsed on his bedroom floor, and he didn't bother moving from it. His head _throbbed _with every beat of his heart. He was curled in on himself, trying to even out his quick breaths. His ribs were screaming and his arm wasn't much better.

He looked up slowly, his vision swimming. His eyes narrowed, trying to figure out the numbers the green digits were making. But currently, they were only making strange hypnotic patterns. Finally, the numbers swam together, linking up with the other green lines. The two small dots came into focus, and on the number on the left soon was clear. It formed a 9.

And that's when Wally's eyes shot open in horror. The other digits came into focus, and the digits read out 9:56. Oh hell. Wally was supposed to be at the Cave for a mission briefing at 10- which they were _all_ supposed to attend. He groaned, almost shooting up. But his ribs had protested majorly against that, and so he was reduced to slowly getting up, trying to even out his breaths as his heart began to speed up with worry. Oh, he was so in for it.

'Not like Batman could kill me any more, so I suppose a few more minutes won't matter...' He thought, reaching out for the dresser, ignoring his screaming arm. He pulled himself up slowly, then looked down once he was standing. The floor was swimming, and Wally bit his lip as he realized that he would have to change from his sweatpants and tank. He gave a glance to the dresser, then pulled out some jeans, a yellow top and a red jacket.

How he managed to get them on without collapsing from pain became the question of the day. He laced up his shoes quickly, and slowly the mask pieced itself back together. The smile was up, and he deeply exhaled as he took a step. Alright, just a few more hundred steps to go and he could make it to the Zeta. He managed to get out into the hallway, leaning slightly against the wall. He took more steps and walked into the kitchen, noticing his parents (well, his mum) had left an orange note this time on the fridge.

_'Wally,_  
_The Daniels called. They need help renovating. _  
_Won't be home until late,_  
_Have fun at the Cave_  
_Mom x'_

He took the note, marking it with a bolt. He did this to show that he had read the note and understood. He briefly remembered the Daniels were quite some distance away, so he smiled slightly. Finally, his luck might be beginning.  
He took a glance in the mirror, then frowned.

Right, he had forgotten to mask up the bruises. Rolling his eyes at his stupidity, he quickly found the concealer in his other pants pocket, quickly putting it on. The rings under his eyes were still slightly visible, but he could easily cover those up with a few excuses like _homework_. His left arm hurt like hell, but he focused on other things. Like getting the previous nights memories out his head. He walked inside to the cafe, going to the Zeta. He gasped slightly as the pain seemed to jumble over his body, but it seemed to settle back down to his ribs and arm once he took a step. Batman narrowed his eyes, and Wally shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his right arm. Everyone was looking at him questioningly, but he couldn't think of an excuse. He just took his place next to Artemis on the end of the assembled team.

He took a glance at his phone, cursing that he was almost half an hour late. "Where were you?" Artemis mumbled to him once Batman had finished and the Team had walked off. Wally wasn't paying attention, rather trying to adjust his standing position into something much more comfortable as his ribs still seemed to be on fire. She nudged him, and Wally's eyes widened, quickly biting his lip to stop from wincing.

_Damn it, what was with everyone suddenly aggravating his ribs when they were this sore? Especially the Gotham kids? _He glanced at Artemis sheepishly, who was studying him. He found himself shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. "I slept in. Couldn't sleep last night until late," He let the lie slip past his lips, and Artemis sighed. "Well, I wasn't holding you, beautiful! I was lonely," He grinned, knowing it was cheesy. Artemis let the laugh show clearly in her eyes, stepping closer to him. "You need to stop being to cheesy," She muttered, smiling.  
"And you need to stop being so perfect," He laughed, ignoring the pain it brought him. Because it was a real laugh, and he wasn't going to let his father ruin that. She laughed, pushing him slightly as she stepped back.

Oh, and the ribs! Damn it, does he just have some 'Please annoy ribs!' sign somewhere? And that's when Artemis frowned. "You're injured." She stated, narrowing her eyes. Oh crap. Totally did not need the girlfriend onto him. "Babe, the bats just hit a little too hard. It'll heal up by tomorrow afternoon." That was true... Well it would be, if his father just stopped kicking him there. She huffed slightly, "Sometimes, you're impossible," She shook her head, stepping closer once again.

"_Yeesh_, get a room!" The little ninja had appeared out of nowhere, arms folded. Artemis just smiled slightly, letting her arms wrap around Wally again. Well, maybe it wasn't so bad that she was _on _him. "Well... We were in a room _without_ anyone else until _you _showed up!" Wally threw his arms up in exaggeration, but they quickly came back down to wrap around Artemis. For now, the pain was subsiding. Maybe the warm feeling inside of him when he saw Artemis was doing that. Robin's eyes were clearly rolling behind the sunglasses. "Suit up for the mission in an hour. Fill the details you missed out on in the bio-ship." Robin walked out after that, hands in pockets. Wally just shook his head, "Damn ninja's," He mumbled. Artemis stepped back, hands back on her hips as Wally's stomach grumbled.

"Uh... I forgot about breakfast?" He grinned, walking to the kitchen. Artemis rolled her eyes, "Why do I doubt that a speedster could forgot about _breakfast?" _She poked him slightly, knowing that Wally _never_ missed a meal (but she obviously didn't know about dinner.) "Well, you know, when you know Batman is probably going to have your head for sleeping in, you sort of forgot everything important." That was probably the only truth he had told that day. He opened the fridge, scanning the contents. For once, nothing appealed. He frowned, trying to convince himself that left over _cookies_ were good at any time of the day, but he knew if he'd try to eat it he'd probably throw up or something. He huffed, knowing he'd need his energy. He clutched his ribs with his right arm, squatting down to open the bottom trays. He chose an apple, seeing that his body seemed a little more at peace with the fruit.

"What, no cookies or cake?" Artemis asked, coming up beside him and taking a cookie. He smiled, "Hey, gotta eat healthy, right?" He fired back, but as expected, Artemis returned the fire. "Healthy? I didn't even know you knew the meaning of that," She rolled her eyes, biting the cookie. He looked up at the time, finishing the apple.

"Wally," Artemis's voice was hesitant. Cautious. He looked back down to Artemis, "Yeah beautiful?"

"I... I was thinking... Well, maybe tonight you could meet my mum?" And for once, the speedster was speechless.

* * *

Wally was in the bio-ship, barely hearing the facts Robin was going over. The only things going through his head were:

_'I'm going to meet an ex-villain. Huntress! Artemis's mother! What if she's a mean old witch? Or extremely nice? What if she doesn't like me? ... Pull it together Wall-Man! Of course she'll like you! Just keep it together! And it means you'll probably get out of seeing dad! He may not be happy... But let's be honest with myself here, I'd rather meet Paula than dad.' _With his thoughts racing, he barely took in information that Robin was supplying. All he knew was that there was a disturbance in a forest of who-knows-where and a guy called who-knows-what. Not literally named that, of course, but Wally hadn't exactly absorbed that much information. Artemis was glancing at him from time to time, and he was trying to keep his calm. He just really hoped this guy was not a good combat fighter or something. No need to get more banged up before he met the mother of his girlfriend. He had thankfully taken the painkillers, and he was feeling slightly better.

"All we need to do is investigate is where he is hiding out. It has been confirmed in the forest... but there has not been any specific location determined. So we're going to find the location. M'gann, link us up." Kaldur ordered as the bio-ship landed in a clearing of the forest. Every one on the ship felt the familiar reassurance of the link open up. Wally shut off his thoughts immediately of the nights before.

_"I believe we should pair off to be safe." _Kaldur's voice came through.  
_"So... Who we kissed on New Years?"_ Wally asked innocently.  
_"Wally!"_ The chorus echoed through the team, and Wally shrugged. "Hey! It works!" He said it aloud, getting a few looks.  
_"Well... He is right. It does work,"_ Zatanna chorused in, not exactly minding she'd get to go with Robin. The others ended up agreeing, and soon they were in Stealth mode and scouring the different sections of the forest. Wally and Artemis headed west.

_"Anybody found anything yet?" _Conner sounded bored. Not surprising any of the Team members. He was replied to with an onslaught of _No_'s.

Then Wally frowned, squinting slightly. "Hey, look there," He whispered to Artemis, pulling on her arm to get her to stop. He gestured to the stream with his head. "There's footprints in the muddy section. Not too long ago either," He kept his voice down, and Artemis studied the area. "Think he's close?" She whispered, and Wally nodded.

_"Think we've got something near a stream. Recent footprints. Wearing wellies. Really not much else to say."_ Wally's thoughts went through to the Team and he took a step closer.

_"Follow them. See if you can find something, but do not approach that camp alone if you are able to locate it. Everyone, off to the western section." _Everyone gave affirmatives, but Wally refrained. "Technically, we're not alone if we have each other." He stepped down cautiously, looking at the footprints.

"Kid Flash, this is really no time for pick-up lines," Artemis muttered, following him. "Not kidding. Come on, just a peak at the camp?" He pleaded, not wanting to wait up for the team. Because it was dumb luck they had ended up in this section after Wally almost ended up falling off a ledge. They went down and explored the ledge which had seemed invisible before. They ended up near the stream. Artemis shook her head, "We have our orders." But even her voice was a little doubtful.

Wally just sighed, stepping through the stream to reach the other side. He turned to make sure Artemis made it okay, and he followed the footsteps. "It could be just some guy that visits or something," Artemis said, Wally turning to her slightly, "Well, knowing our luck, probably not," He grinned slightly, looking around for any signs of a camp.

That's when he heard it. "_Guys, you may want to hurry up," _Wally thought, whirling to see a man standing there. Artemis followed example, and her bow was instantly prepared with an arrow. Wally tensed, crouching slightly.

"So... What's up doc?" Wally asked casually, trying to brush off his wariness. He didn't even pay attention to the guys name, and now he was stuck with the guy in a possible battle.

An hour later, the Team sat in the bio ship, silent as they got their breath back. Wally had been running on empty, and not to mention the guy had managed to land a throw on his sore arm. It had resulted in a major fall, Wally barely managing to get up without blacking out.

Artemis leaned closer to him, "Your parents okay with tonight?" She mumbled, knowing that there was only one other person that could hear them with his superhearing. He nodded, "Totally. They're out late anyway," He answered it truthfully.

'Oh look Wally! Two truths in a day! A record!'

Stupid head voices. She nodded, "And you're totally cool with it?" She asked, a little wary.

"Course babe! Why wouldn't I be? The only thing I need to worry about is finding something good to wear," That was a half truth. He'd need to worry about how his father would react to this encounter. But he pushed that aside. She laughed quietly, "Dress casually. She won't care for anything but you're attitude." She admitted, Wally nodding. "You sure?" He wanted to confirm, just in case Artemis was playing with him. "Positive. Meet at the cave at 5."

And so that's what they did. Wally was dressed in his usual attire of red and yellow tops, jeans and sneakers. He had brought a bouquet of roses, really wanting to make an impression. A good one.

Wally kissed her in greeting, nervously handing her the flowers. Her face lit up, and instantly she was hugging him. "Oh, she'll love you." She whispered in his ear. It calmed some of his nerves, at least. Alright, he had done one thing right then. "Come on, Wall-Man, it's time you met my mum," She took his hand and lead him to the Zeta.

Wally was used to Gotham. It was, in other words, his second city. He chilled here a lot with Dick, and he was quite familiar with it. What he wasn't used to was the fact Artemis lived here. Sure, she had told him about a couple of weeks ago, but she was constantly patrolling in Star City in her free time.

"Welcome to Gotham. Take it you've been here before?" She turned to face him and he nodded, "Plenty of times. I mean, with Rob and all." She nodded, expecting the answer. "I swear, if that mini bats comes out of nowhere," it was mostly mumbled to himself.

He made sure Artemis held his right hand, letting his left slightly elevate. She lead him around, coming up to the apartment. "So, you ready?"

"Of course, who isn't ready for the Wall-Man. after all?" She elbowed him, rolling her eyes and she lead him up to their floor.

She knocked on the door, then opened it with the key from her back pocket.

They were greeted by a smiling Paula Crock, hands on her lap in a wheelchair.

"Mom, this is Wally, Kid Flash. He's my... Uh... Boyfriend," She stepped into the house, gesturing to Wally. Paula's face instantly brightened and she held out a hand which Wally took. "Artemis tells me so much about you. Please, sit down." Paula wheeled her way to the living room, and Wally found himself being instantly comforted by the place. It felt safe and warm. Something his house was beginning to lack. He sat down on the couch next to Artemis.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you. Artemis tells me so many stories, and I'm glad she does. You should hear some of the things she sa-"

"Mum!" Artemis quickly butted in, her cheeks feeling rather warm. If she had continued, who knew when Wally would shut up about it. Wally smiled, "Well, I must admit, I'm probably saying those kinds of things too."

Artemis was entirely glad he didn't say something like 'Well who could resist saying that about Kid Flash!'

Not a great impression, to say the least.

As it was, Artemis walked Wally back to the Zeta.

"Your mum is incredible. Seriously," Wally **exclaimed, beaming that** they had gotten along so well. He was beginning to wonder if Artemis was getting a little jealous on the sidelines. "I'm just glad you managed to have half a brain, otherwise you'd be used for target practice. And it won't be me firing the arrows, it'll be mum," She teased, pushing him slightly. Wally scoffing. "You know no one can resist the charm of Kid Flash, babe," He grinned, then looked at the Zeta. Artemis then blinked, noticing how the corners of his mouth fell slightly. "What? Don't want to leave me?" She asked, and Wally turned to the Zeta.

"Never, beautiful," Wally replied honestly, going for a quick kiss. She allowed it before opening the telephone box and shoving him inside. "Debriefing at 8!" She shouted, and swore she could hear a groan. Once he had been Zeta'd, she returned home.

She was greeted by her mum, "I'm glad you have him, Artemis." She said, wheeling over to her daughter. "I'm glad too," Artemis admitted. "Alright, gotta be back at the Cave in the morning." She yawed, feeling drained. The fight had taken a fair bit of energy.

"Artemis?" Paula ventured, and Artemis turned, frowning at the cautious tone her mum was using.

"Do you know about his family?" Paula asked, and Artemis nodded. "Lives with his mum and dad in Central. Surprisingly, Flash isn't his father." Artemis had to admit, she always thought that Flash was his father. They definitely had the relationship going to fool anyone.

"Well, it's just that... I noticed something," Paula inquired, not really sure if she really wanted to tell her daughter or not about her suspicions.

"What is it, mum? He's a great boyfriend, really, might seem a little... It... But he's amazing and even brought me flowers," Artemis quickly rushed out. Oh no, she was not having that 'Mother hates daughter's boyfriend' thing happening.

Paula shook her head, the next sentence coming out hesitantly.

"I think he might be getting... Abused."

* * *

Yay for Paula!

Well aware it's very dragged out, and honestly I have no idea what I'm typing, but as you can probably see, this is definitely a Spitfire story. Obviously there'll be bromance. And more abuse. Paula Crock sounds like a lovely mother in law though ;)

Oh, and of course there's going to be more abuse. This story kind of just feels like a collage of my random ideas, so beware for random stuff.

Anyway, reviews are very much loved x

Kayla :)


	3. Chapter 3

What's this? I'm alive?

Indeed I am.

Dedicated to IronicVeghead, for simply being amazing.

* * *

Wally stood in front of the familiar house, allowing the cold winds to whisper down his neck and between his clothing as he reflected on the meeting with Paula Crock which had not even happened an hour ago.

* * *

"So tell me, Wally, if it's okay to ask, of course. But how exactly did you become Kid Flash?" The relaxing and curious tone of Paula Crock made him smile. She was warm and welcoming, not scared and worried like his own mother.

He launched into his story- not one to leave an insisting lady hanging. After all, the story had to be the greatest of all time.

"The Flash jumped at the opportunity of having me a as a sidekick- naturally,"

He was about to continue, but stopped to glare at Artemis as she kicked him under the wooden table.

"Ow! Hey!" He glared at the smug face of Artemis.

"Uh, Wally, I'm pretty sure that's not what Flash said," Her tone was teasing- and he rose to the bait.

"Oh, yeah? And how would you know what he said nearly three years ago?" That's when he crossed his arms; almost certain he had won their little battle.

_Unless..._

"Because, Kid, I actually talked to him- something which you've been oblivious of."

Unless ... she had spoken to his Uncle. Damn it, Uncle Barry!

He simply groaned and deflated slightly- his confidence blown through. But he wasn't one to give up on this story- especially not an amazing story like so.

He continued on, explaining some of the actual chemicals used for the experiment. Artemis, he realized, actually seemed to understand the formula- which wasn't exactly surprising, at least. She did study in the same field of science as him, he suspected. He honestly never really bothered to ask.

Wally knew he had gone on about the story probably longer than whatever he should have, but it was nice to feel so relaxed and at ease with an adult. Even with Barry and Iris, he was always on his guard. His uncle worked in the forensic side of science- any little clue about Rudy could probably blow it for Wally.

He remembered thinking at one stage that Paula and Aunt Iris would, most likely, get along famously.

* * *

As much as Wally had tried to delay the trip back home, he knew he couldn't exactly stand outside of his house all night. Hopefully, his luck was still burning through fine and Rudy was actually asleep- not watching the TV and still awake- ready for Wally's return.

He took another look at the house, and then realized he was referring the building to a house. Not a home. Just a very familiar house.

A home was supposed to make you feel safe, warm, loved and protected. The qualities the house was very much lacking. He mused himself by thinking that standing alone in an alley at Gotham was probably safer than whatever the hell was in his house.

His thoughts flashed back to the house he had just been in- Artemis's small apartment which she shared with her mother. No, not a house. That was a home. It may not be very flashy or big, but it was home. Home to Artemis, anyway. Wally rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation.

He could run. Run away, far from his issues and father. But his mother couldn't. She wouldn't leave Rudy, bound for some strange reason. He didn't really understand how their relationship actually worked- but he knew his mom would probably be better away from Rudy. His opinion, anyway. She seemed to think different- or in another way.

Wally's hand went to his back pocket of his jeans, searching for the house key he usually had stored there. His heart sank when he realized there was no key in his back pocket. His shoulders slouched and he groaned, aware it was probably well past his curfew and if he knocked... Well, Rudy would answer the door and Wally knew it wouldn't be pretty for him. And, right now, he couldn't deal with that. He honestly couldn't deal with any more blows. His body was still recovering, after all, and people (namely the Gotham kids) suspected something. He didn't need to have to deal with that either.

He listened intently for any volume of sound in the house and sighed in relief when he realized they were both most likely asleep as there was no sounds detected. Didn't need to disturb them anyway, from a rare thing like sleep.

Grabbing out the one object he did have in his back pocket, he began typing a message to his mom. He knew his mom always left her phone in the kitchen - and therefore wouldn't hear it when it sent out a ringtone for the newly received message. She would, however, see the message in the morning and it would probably save her from having a mild panic attack in fear that her child didn't return home the night before for some horrible, dark reason.

Hitting the send button, he backed down the front steps and began slowly walking to the shut down cafe which held the zeta. Maybe he could simply go back to Gotham to check in Artemis's apartment for his key. Or maybe Artemis would give it back tomorrow. She was probably asleep anyway. 'Debriefing at eight', he thought dryly.

Wally didn't know where he wanted to go. He could go to Gotham, and visit either Artemis or Dick. But he knew Bruce wouldn't exactly appreciate a late night visit by any means, and besides, the Dynamic Duo was probably doing their 'Dynamic Duo Thing' in Gotham. Running into Batman (which he had done literally one time) wasn't exactly, right now, on his 'Top 5 Things to Do' list.

He could go to the Mountain and crash in the spare room- but that idea was crushed when he realized he hadn't gotten any luggage or clothing. And that was strange enough- crashing at Mount Justice without baggage. And M'gann could most likely pick up on his distress which he knew was pretty damn obvious right now.

His feet seemed to have their own thoughts, knowing he had to at least run somewhere. And that somewhere seemed to be near the Zeta.

Wally didn't argue with his feet, allowing them to take him through to Gotham by Zeta. They seemed to stop thinking, as they shuffled slightly- unsure of which direction to go so he led them to their destination. He walked down the shabby alley, careful to keep his guard up- after all, this was Gotham. Pretty much a bad guy around every single corner. Walking cautiously, knowing clearly where he was going now, he made his way through yet another alley.

And that's when his warning bells rang crazily in his head. 'Never go down dark alleys in Gotham,' he thought.

Slowly turning around, knowing there was another couple of presences behind him that probably weren't friendly (this was, after all, Gotham's alleys) he turned to see a flicker of movement.

Narrowing his eyes, he knew there was a presence, or two, definitely there. His body was about to go into a running stance, but he realized he was in his civvies. Running, in his case, probably wasn't a fantastic idea. He was about to calmly walk out of the alley in the other direction.

Well, that was the plan anyway. Turned out, the plan changed when there was a gun pointed at his chest.

Not like his plans ever worked anyway.

"Ah, how about we put the gun down and talk this out?" Wally tried his charming grin, but the guy holding the gun only seemed to grip the trigger tighter. That's when Wally felt it- he had a gun pointed behind him, as well as in front.

Today really just was not his day.

He did a quick mental scan of the situation. Two guys with two ordinary guns. Black typical hockey masks and jackets. For someone like Kid Flash, these goons would be a piece of cake. But for Wally West? Not so much.

He was already planning a strategy to get out of the situation without hinting towards his speed.

As it turned out, he shouldn't have bothered. He only got a chance to take a quick glance behind him as he heard a familiar cackle before two batarangs were impaled in the thieves/muggers coat hoods- effectively pinning them to the alley wall.

Wally realized he had groaned more that night than what he usually did in a week, because he was groaning as his mind pathetically helped with 'Aw man, I'm in for it now.'

Maybe he could get out of this one. Maybe he could dash over to Artemis's, grab the key, run to the Zeta and run back to the house with the key and deal with the Bat's later the next day.

Right, so not easy. Batman and Robin soundlessly jumped off the top of the building beside the alley, landing next to the crooks. Wally decided to use his civvies to his advantage.

"Uh, thanks!" He said innocently, already backing off down in the other direction. A glare from Batman stopped his footsteps, clearly demanding the answer to the question of why Wally was in his turf- especially this late at night.

Wally leaned casually against the alley wall in pretend relaxation. What it really was, though, was an attempt to ease the pain off his ribs. Usually by this time, he would be taking some pain killers (but then again, usually before this time he would be beaten up once again) and probably in bed, prepared for another sleepless night. He was really ready to crash- the fatigue was catching up to him and it would only be a matter of time before he collapsed face first on the pavement to take a nap.

His eyes began to flutter close, the thoughts of taking a nap seeming like the best thoughts he had ever had. A nap. Just a little nap couldn't hurt anyone, could it? The pain was dulling as he let his mind wander and body and senses relax.

"Dude, snap out of it!" His eyes flashed open in alarm, meeting the irritated face of Dick Grayson. Or, as of right now, Robin.

"Uh, sorry, guess I'm just a little tired." Was Wally's sheepish response to the Boy Wonder, who seemed to raise an eyebrow- it was a little hard to tell with the mask on.

Before Robin could reply, his mentor cut in.

"Come with us," was the Dark Knight's only words before he disappeared within the shadows.

"Aw come on, the ninja thing?" Wally complained, eyeing Robin carefully in case the younger teen decided to pull the same annoying move like his mentor had. After all, Wally couldn't exactly go with them if he didn't actually know where they went.

Robin just smirked, knowing what Wally was thinking, and turned to the opposite direction in which Wally wanted to go.

"Hey, you know, I'm kind of going to meet up with someone..." Wally gestured behind him- the direction in which he wanted to go. Artemis's house.

Dick just raised a questioning eyebrow, "Want to argue with Batman?" His tone was fairly light and playful, but it didn't matter to Wally.

"Well, someone's got to do it," Wally managed to grit out, his patience running thin. He knew he had more than a sufficient reason for being so snappy- dealing with a violent dad, painful injuries, losing his house key and now the god darn Batman. But Robin didn't know this, and therefore ended up glaring at the speedster.

"Jeez, someone's not feeling the aster," He commented clearly more to himself than Wally, as he turned to face the hanging unconscious crooks and fiddling around with some equipment. "There, the police are now notified." Again, more to himself.

Wally forced himself to calm down, knowing Robin meant no harm. Batman though...

He pushed himself off the wall, biting back the small cry that formed, "Got any painkillers?" He asked the Boy Wonder, beginning to walk slowly in the direction he did not want to go. The kid seemed a little surprised by the question, but nodded. "After you see Batman."

_Damn it._

"Look, Rob, I'm tired and sore. I just need to find my house key and go back home and sleep untilthree P.M." He didn't like admitting any weaknesses, but he was really getting desperate. At this point, he was going to say 'To hell with Batman's orders' and simply run off- damning the consequences.

And that's when Wally realized. Maybe he could open up. Show them that Wally West wasn't exactly always cheery- Not always the hero. He was the kid who saved many lives, but couldn't even save himself from his own father's abusive actions. Maybe the Team could help.

And then, just like per usual with these thoughts, reality crashed down on him. The sympathy looks, the issues of where to put Wally for living, and not to mention the many issues of explaining to Artemis (and Conner) she/they wasn't the only one suffering from a more-than-crazy father... It made him keep his mouth shut. After all, he can last until he is eighteen. He can.

Wally decided that if he couldn't look for his key, then he would have to get someone else to. Slowing his already slow walking pace, Wally grabbed his phone and began texting Artemis.

Dick appeared next to him without a word, trying to look over his shoulder to see the screen. Wally used his own height to his advantage, raising the phone slightly to disable any unwanted spying from short people- namely, Robin.

Wally managed to hit 'Send' before Robin decided to whip out his wrist computer and hack into his phone. Smugly putting his phone away, he took a glance at Robin.

"What's up with Bats, anyway? I didn't think having an amazing superhero like me on his turf would bother him this much." It took a bit of effort for the words to come out- tiredness was rapidly kicking into effect.

"It doesn't bother him. Well, largely, anyway. I don't think so anyway- but the guy is really hard to get a read on. Maybe he's just suspicious of you and Artemis, especially when it's this late at night." Dick explained.

"Aw come on! I left my house key there by accident! I swear, really, nothing is going on," The words were rushed by the end- a little freaked out by what Batman could be thinking.

His only reply was Dick's creepy little cackle, which he had long since gotten used to. Admitting defeat, the young hero began walking, wistfully looking back in the other direction.

Each breath was becoming a little harder to take in and exhale, and he was about to just go and sleep on the floor as his legs were going to give out at any moment now. Robin appeared next to him, walking confidently but yet casually alongside him. Dick waved the packet of painkillers in front of him, Wally swift long grabbing it with the help of his speed before the young ninja changed his mind.

Swallowing down four tablets, he glanced sheepishly at the ninja beside him. "You know, dude, I seriously left my key at her house."

Dick shrugged, "I know. Although I have to ask- what were you doing at her house anyway?"

Wally sort of dead panned at the question. "Uh, visiting?" Well, it was true.

Robin seemed to roll his eyes, "No kidding." He was about to keep speaking, but the Dark Knight materialized in front of them. Wally had long since gotten used to the ninja acts- didn't mean it didn't annoy him though.

Wally shuffled along, hoping the painkillers would come into effect very soon- he didn't know how much longer he could stand up for. He didn't even notice Dick walk away from his side and reappear next to Bruce who was now infront of him.

And that's when Wally realized just how screwed he was. He was in Batman's territory, had no house key, was barely able to stand up and he was under suspicion.

Yeah, really not his day.

"Wally," Batman began in his chilling voice, making Wally tense and temporarily forget about the pain.

Wally attempted to hide his irritation, knowing it probably wasn't a good idea to annoy The Batman.

"Where are your injuries from?" Wally instantly glared at Dick. He knew the kid had told his mentor of his suspicions. God darn mother-

He cut that thought short, glaring challenging at Batman. "What injuries?" And damn it, he was so out of character that he was probably only making the duo more suspicious, but he couldn't help the snap.

Batman returned the glare, as did Robin. "I've told you guys- Captain Cold just got a lucky shot."

They clearly didn't believe it.

"Captain Cold, and all other ice villains, are in Belle Rav. And they have been so for the past week. Do not lie to me. Where are your injuries from?"

The tone made Wally just want to curl up and cry. But he would never, ever do that in front of the Bats. Instead, his glare sharpened.

"Look, Batman, I need that key to get home. So how about you go stop a bank robbery or something whilst I go make my way back home so I can deal with anything that dad-"

Oh, crap. He stopped abruptly, eyes widening as he realized what he had done. He had slipped up for the second time that night.

* * *

"You live with your parents, yes?" Paula's question was innocent enough. If only Wally knew how much trouble it would get him in to.

"Yeah, in Central." His reply was short, only managing to say it before he took another bite of the chocolate cookie in his hand.

"Is the Flash your dad?" Wally should have expected the question- after all, he did wish it was true.

"No, my dad is a-" An ass. An alcoholic, abusive and a very manipulative man. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to say the words, he knew he couldn't. He tried to fix his slip up, "My dad is a normal human- no meta or anything."

Yeah, normal.

Paula smiled, but Wally detected something else. He brushed it off though, deciding to worry about it later.

* * *

Suspicion.

Oh god. Wally knew that he was now officially screwed over and may as well be buried 12 feet under. Paula Crock was beginning to see something.

He cursed his stupidity. He really needed to make sure his tongue slowed down- otherwise he knew he may as well be blurting he was being beaten up by his own dad.

He looked up from the dirty street floor, almost flinching at Batman's hard glare. These slip ups... Before he knew what he was doing, Wally was walking backwards and mumbling excuses.

He let his feet lead the way. If his mind led the way... Well, he'd probably end up through a wall. His mind was so clouded that he could barely see straight. He was running, (the only thing he seemed to be good at now) and breathing heavily, not caring he was running in civvies.

If anyone figured it out, Wally knew his life would probably not get any worse. Once again, he was standing at Artemis's door, ready to knock.

"Mum... That's... That's crazy. No way is Kid being... Well... Abused."

And that's all he heard before his legs finally gave out, his mind not helping as he fell.

Yeah, he was so screwed.

* * *

Ayyeee! Hehe, this feels like a filler chapter to me, but it is part of the plot. Oh dear. I have a nasty habit of cliffhangers, don't I?

Oops.

Honestly, I was so scared to even touch this story. I was so overwhelmed by the response on this story I was scared this chapter would totally screw it. Uh...let's hope not.

So please review? ^^

Kayla :)


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